Chapter 53: I Want a Divorce
Rain, laden with shattered leaves, lashed against the glazed tiles as night fully descended. Candlelight flickered wildly in the gale, casting the shifting shadows of figures onto the coiling dragon pillars within the hall. A cacophony of voices filled the air, thick with the damp, coppery scent of blood.
Below the steps, the Crown Prince knelt at the center, surrounded by the formidable Black Armor Army in their sharp armor. Beside them stood numerous civil and military officials, who had rushed over so hastily that they hadn't time to change into their court robes, their hems and boots still soaked.
"Father—"
The Crown Prince's temples were damp, droplets of what could have been sweat or rain tracing down his face. "At noon, I received a summons from the palace, stating Your Majesty wished to see me. I was suspicious—afternoon is your customary rest time; why such a sudden summons?"
"I first dispatched someone to investigate and discovered unusual movements among the imperial guards protecting the palace. The guards at the Meridian Gate should have changed shifts between 1 and 3 PM, but today, there was no shift change for two consecutive hours. Something was amiss."
"Recently, the Empress has urged me to read the *Comprehensive Mirror*. History records instances where a crown prince, summoned to the palace, was ambushed in the side palace courtyards and killed by his own brother. Bloodshed at the palace gates, fratricidal conflict, followed by usurpation—such events are hardly uncommon! I... I was truly afraid—"
"So—cough, cough."
Behind the imperial yellow curtains, the Emperor's figure was blurred and indistinct.
A slender woman bent down, gently rubbing the Emperor's back to soothe him.
"So, you struck first and killed your brother, the Virtuous Prince?"
The Emperor's hoarse voice trembled with fury. In a single day, a rebellion at the palace gates and the agony of losing a son had overwhelmed the aging emperor, causing him to cough up blood in his distress.
With external threats looming, he could not afford to collapse.
Masked by the scent of blood and the curtains, no one had yet noticed the Emperor's condition. The Crown Prince, pale with fear, bowed until his forehead struck heavily against the blue stone floor.
"I would never dare!"
"The imperial guards take orders from Grand Marshal Qi, and Grand Marshal Qi is the Virtuous Prince's maternal uncle. I... I panicked in my fear and thought of the Black Armor Army stationed outside the capital. I sent a swift message to General Gu."
"If it had been a misunderstanding, I would have willingly accepted punishment. But I never expected... never expected that the Virtuous Prince would lead the imperial guards to breach the Meridian Gate and advance straight toward the Qianyuan Palace. He not only sought my life but also aimed to kill you and seize the throne. His crimes are unforgivable."
"Father, please see reason. I truly had no other choice!"
Tears and nasal mucus streamed down the Crown Prince's face, and his forehead was bloodied from knocking on the ground, marring his formerly refined appearance. Yet no one present dared to mock him, for they all knew the Crown Prince was the rightful heir. Now that the Virtuous Prince was dead, no one could threaten his position as crown prince.
The Crown Prince's faction had won.
"The Crown Prince speaks utter nonsense!"
Minister of Personnel Li Shuhong, his eyes wide with rage, also knelt, tears streaming down his face. "It was the Virtuous Prince who received news that the Black Armor Army outside the capital was acting suspiciously. Concerned for Your Majesty's safety, he acted decisively and led troops into the palace to protect you."
"Yet the Crown Prince set an ambush and killed him outside the central gate. The Virtuous Prince was wronged! Your Majesty, please judge wisely!"
As he finished, a chorus of agreement rose from below.
"Yes, the Virtuous Prince was benevolent and filial—he would never do such a thing! Now that he is dead and cannot defend himself, they smear his name!"
"The Prince was wronged! Your Majesty, please see the truth!"
"..."
These were the Virtuous Prince's allies. Though grieving as if they had lost their own parents, they had to speak up for him. For one, the Virtuous Prince had played the patron over the years, treating scholars with respect and winning the loyalty of many. For another, in victory or defeat, they knew the Crown Prince and his faction would not spare them in the aftermath.
The more this was the case, the less they could allow the Virtuous Prince to be smeared. If the Virtuous Prince were confirmed as a traitor, the Crown Prince would be completely unrestrained in dealing with them—the charge of being accomplices to treason was readily available.
While the Virtuous Prince's allies spoke as if weeping blood, the Crown Prince's faction, refusing to be overshadowed, also gathered their robes and knelt.
"What do you mean by 'smearing his name'? Are you saying someone held a knife to the Virtuous Prince's throat and forced him to lead troops into the palace?"
"Exactly. Put yourself in his shoes—even if the Virtuous Prince heard about suspicious movements outside the capital, he should have reported it to Your Majesty first. What right did he have to mobilize the imperial guards privately? Was he attempting a coup?"
Li Shuhong's eyes reddened with fury. "You—you are slandering us!"
An articulate member of the Crown Prince's faction retorted, "If we're talking about slander, Minister Li, you claim the camp outside the capital was acting suspiciously with just a few words. How is it that none of us received any such news?"
"The Gu family enjoys a marquisate of ten thousand households. The Black Armor Army returned to the capital at Your Majesty's summons—their loyalty is to you. To claim that the battle-hardened Black Armor Army, with its countless military merits, would mutiny is nothing short of a fantasy!"
"Bah! How dare you quibble!"
The Virtuous Prince's allies were indignant. "Everyone knows Gu Yan was imprisoned for imperial examination misconduct. The Black Armor Army takes orders from Gu Yuan. The Gu family holds a grudge—is that not reason enough?"
The Crown Prince's faction shot back, "Hey, hey, enough. Neither the Dali Temple nor His Majesty has convicted Marquis Gu. Stop spreading baseless rumors."
"..."
"Enough!"
The Emperor's voice, powerful and resonant, came from behind the curtains. "Do you take the Hall of Golden Chimes for a marketplace? What disgraceful behavior!"
Both sides fell silent at once, kowtowing and exclaiming, "Your Majesty, please judge wisely."
In their war of words, not one of them considered that the Emperor was not only their ruler but also a father.
A father who had lost his son in old age.
The agony of outliving one's child surged through the Emperor's aged body, veins bulging on his arms as fury blazed in his chest.
"Father, please calm your anger. Have some tea to soothe your throat."
A woman's voice, soft and gentle with the melodious Wu dialect tones, sounded strikingly out of place in the vast hall.
The officials glanced at the slender figure behind the curtains, wondering to themselves: His Majesty has few children—Princess Pingyang, Princess Danyang, and Princess Jinyang, all raised in the capital since childhood. Which princess is this, with such a southern accent?
Only Gu Yuan, who had remained silent until now, his pupils contracted sharply, his gaze fixed intently on that graceful figure.
He could never forget her, not even in his frequent dreams—his eldest brother's wife.
Why was she here?
Why did she address the Emperor as "Father"?
The man who had remained steadfast before thousands of troops now deeply furrowed his brows.
...
No matter how many shockwaves she had stirred, Yan Xuerui moved behind the Emperor, her delicate fingers massaging his temples.
"Anger harms the liver," she said softly. "You must take care of your health, Your Majesty."
For her, this day had been nerve-wracking.
She had entered the palace before the Emperor's afternoon nap to see him. First, she gently revealed that she was not the biological daughter of the Yan family, adding sorrowfully, "Is it because a woman like me is unloved by her parents that they abandoned me?"
"Nonsense!"
The Emperor urgently interrupted her, saying, "You are so clever, beautiful, and sensible. Your parents... must have loved you dearly."
He and Imperial Consort had named her Princess Changle, meaning eternal joy, wishing her peace and a worry-free life.
But she had deceived him—she had truly deceived him!
He had always believed Princess Changle was killed by women in the harem. For her, he had purged the court and the harem extensively, even ordering the death of Empress Xu. He cared not for his reputation as a virtuous ruler; even if labeled a tyrant, he sent out many people and spent years searching, yet found no trace of their daughter.
Years later, he gradually came to his senses. The Emperor had ascended the throne young; he was no foolish ruler.
If she were alive, he would see her; if dead, he would see the body. With such meticulous searching, how could it be that nothing was found?
Unless she had deceived him—their daughter never had a red mole on the sole of her foot.
She was his most beloved woman. She resented his having multiple consorts, but he was the Emperor, the ruler of the realm. Even a commoner with a few scraps of silver would buy a concubine; for her to demand he remain faithful to her alone was absurd!
If such words spread, at best, she would be seen as jealous; at worst, she would be labeled a seductive enchantress who bewitched the state. She did not know how to be a virtuous consort, and he could teach her, but he could not tolerate such willfulness.
He began to neglect her, favoring other consorts, waiting for her to come around. Gradually, a rift grew between them, and her smiles became fewer. He was the Emperor; he could not possibly yield.
Fortunately, she seemed to accept it. Her belly slowly swelled—this was not his first child, but it was the first time he felt the joy of becoming a father. The two became inseparable again. He doted on her immensely, even indulging her wish to leave the palace for a temporary palace to give birth, simply because she found the palace stifling.
If their daughter never had the so-called "red mole," did that not mean it was all her plan—that she had personally sent their daughter out of the palace?
She had never moved past her resentment; even on her deathbed, she still hated him.
...
The grief of losing his beloved was overshadowed by another, deeper pain—a pain that cut to the bone. The Emperor burned all portraits of Imperial Consort, destroyed all records related to her, and forbade anyone from mentioning her.
He recalled those searching for Princess Changle and turned instead to seeking immortality and enlightenment. Over the years, the Emperor was tormented and conflicted—he longed to find his daughter yet feared confirming his suspicions. Fortunately, those "immortals" were all frauds, and he executed them without mercy—until Taoist Master Xu entered the palace.
Taoist Master Xu was truly remarkable, bringing her before him. From the first glance, he knew she was his daughter.
After all, she looked so much like her mother.
The first time, he did not acknowledge her. He was too shocked and, to ensure caution, ordered an investigation into her background. It matched—she was indeed his daughter. The Emperor’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.
He was already at death's door, and his daughter was old enough to be a grandmother. The grievances of the past could wait until he joined her underground to discuss in detail.
But given the immense risk she took to send their daughter out of the palace, would she resent him if he acknowledged her now?
According to secret reports, her adoptive parents, though not wealthy, were honest and kind, treating her as their own.
Now married to a high-ranking official, she enjoyed wealth, luxury, and fine garments—no less than a princess.
Considering all this, the Emperor restrained himself. He thought perhaps this was for the best.
Now, Yan Xuerui’s dark, shimmering eyes, so reminiscent of her deceased mother, gazed at the Emperor. "Your Majesty jokes. If I were truly as wonderful as you say, why would my parents not come looking for me?"
"They must have rejected me."
The Emperor was speechless. At this point, who could hold back? He recognized her then and there.
No sooner had father and daughter reunited than the ground began to tremble, followed by thunderous hoofbeats and a cry that pierced the heavens: "Purge the emperor's evil advisors!"
The Emperor immediately called for guards. Palace guards drew their swords, surrounding the Qianyuan Palace tightly. Yet, after a long wait, as the sky darkened and the rain poured heavier, no rebels appeared.
Gu Yuan entered, drenched, and knelt on one knee, reporting solemnly, "Your Majesty, the Virtuous Prince mobilized the imperial guards without authorization in an attempt to ambush and kill the Crown Prince, seize the throne, and has met his end."
"Grand Marshal Qi, upon learning of the failure, has taken his own life."
These few words made the Emperor’s vision darken; he nearly fainted.
No matter how flawed the Virtuous Prince was, he was his son. If the Virtuous Prince had been captured alive, the Emperor might have been furious, confined him, and treated him coldly.
But he would not have taken his life.
The Emperor had ascended the throne young and ruled for four or five decades, priding himself on mastering the art of rulership. Even in his old age, with the Crown Prince and the Virtuous Prince coveting his throne, and court factions like the noble families and the Upright faction clashing, he knew everything.
It was all within his control.
Just as balancing scales, when the Crown Prince acted arrogantly, he suppressed the noble families; when the Upright gained influence, he checked the Virtuous Prince. The final decision always rested with him, the Emperor.
As for the Qi and Gu families, they were merely tools in his sons’ hands—obedient lapdogs, not worthy of fear.
Yet, he who hunts geese all his life was fooled by one!
The Virtuous Prince’s unauthorized mobilization of the imperial guards was undoubtedly suspicious, but knowing his son as only a father could, the Emperor refused to believe the Virtuous Prince intended to kill his father and seize the throne. The court ministers below argued, but the Emperor knew the Virtuous Prince Faction had lost—utterly.
At the outset of the civil service examination scandal, Gu Yan had already reported everything. The final exam questions were not originally chosen by Gu Yan but were personally selected by the Emperor. To avoid suspicion, Gu Yan had deliberately avoided any contact with the questions.
Yet the questions were still leaked. Whoever did it, it could not have been Gu Yan.
Enraged at the time, the Emperor resolved to kill those who dared undermine the state’s foundation. He and Gu Yan staged an act to uncover all those involved.
Gu Yan’s charges were fabricated—how could he "hold a grudge" and incite a mutiny among the imperial guards? He had no motive.
Yet Gu Yan was far from innocent!
Today’s palace coup occurred while Gu Yan was in the Dali Prison. He had made himself appear too innocent, which only made the Emperor more certain it was all his planning.
Why would the Virtuous Prince believe the Black Armor Army was mobilizing? Surely the Black Armor Army had done something to mislead him, forcing him to take desperate measures.
How did the Black Armor Army enter the imperial city from the suburbs in just one afternoon? The time was too short; even if the Crown Prince personally went to mobilize troops, it would have been impossible.
There were too many doubts, but the Virtuous Prince himself was implicated, and Gu Yan’s arrangements were flawless. Though suspicious, the Emperor had no evidence.
For a moment, the Emperor considered using the civil service examination scandal to execute Gu Yan and be done with it.
Gu Yan was adept at reading the Emperor’s mind. Others might receive his orders but bungle them, but Gu Yan was different—he handled things perfectly without needing explicit instructions. The Gu family rose through military merits; such nobles typically enjoyed empty titles without real power.
The Emperor had grown too accustomed to using Gu Yan. Even knowing Gu Yan used his position as Crown Prince Senior Tutor to eliminate rivals and amass power, the Emperor turned a blind eye. What could a mere subject do? Could he overturn the heavens?
Now, the wolf’s ambition was revealed, and the Emperor realized he had nurtured a lurking tiger, a greedy wolf, baring its claws and fangs, ferocious and ruthless.
Yet he could not kill him.
The Emperor reflected that the peace across the land relied on the Black Armor Army garrisoning the northwest. To move against the Gu family rashly would destabilize the military.
Even if he found someone to replace Gu Yuan, who among the court officials possessed Gu Yan’s wisdom or Gu Yuan’s bravery? If he punished the Gu family and mistreated those who had served him loyally, who would willingly guard the borders for him in the future?
Now that the Virtuous Prince was dead, he had no choice but to pass the throne to the Crown Prince. Behind the screen, the Emperor could not see but could imagine the Crown Prince’s ineptitude.
After his death, without Senior Tutor Gu to stabilize the court, could the Crown Prince protect the vast empire?
Moreover...
The Emperor sighed softly and took Yan Xuerui’s delicate hand in his.
He said, "Someone, go to Dali Temple prison and have Senior Tutor Gu released."
He was her daughter’s husband. He had just been reunited with her, so how could he let her become a widow?
...
As soon as the emperor spoke, the expressions of the court officials varied. Listening carefully to his words, the emperor had said "Senior Tutor Gu."
The word used was "invite."
The entire court held their breath and waited for half an hour. Gu Yan, dressed in black robes, his sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples, his eyes like cold pools hiding stars, the wind billowing his wide sleeves, stepped unhurriedly up the stairs.
"Your subject, Gu Yan, pays respects to Your Majesty."
His voice was steady, still that unfazed, strategizing demeanor.
The emperor pressed his temples in pain. Having just suffered the loss of a son, the man before him was the culprit, yet he could not touch him.
He said coldly, "The Virtuous Prince is dead. Each of you ministers has your own thoughts. Now that I have summoned Minister Gu, let us hear what you have to say."
Gu Yan's gaze was level. Hearing this, he did not deliberately show surprise but nodded slightly. "Your subject obeys."
...
In just half an hour, Gu Yan, unhurried and composed, reduced the sharp-tongued Virtuous Prince Faction to silence, while also clarifying the Spring Examinations matter.
Do not press a retreating enemy. The Virtuous Prince was already dead. Unlike the Crown Prince's faction present, he did not insist on finalizing the Virtuous Prince's "treason" charge today—the emperor above was still here and likely would not allow him to exterminate them completely.
The sand in the hourglass was almost out; it was nearly midnight.
The deceased must be honored. The matter of the Virtuous Prince was temporarily set aside. First, his body was to be placed in a coffin. Before the charges were finalized, the Virtuous Prince's household would continue to receive the same provisions and must not be mistreated.
Senior Tutor Gu was reinstated effective immediately.
This was excellent news for the Crown Prince's faction. They all knelt and shouted, "The Emperor is wise!" The Crown Prince let out a sigh of relief. Gu Yan's lips curved slightly. Only Gu Yuan stared fixedly at the figure behind the curtain.
He still couldn’t make sense of it.
"One more matter. Let it be announced today as well."
The emperor's weary voice sounded. He straightened his dragon robes to make himself appear less haggard and ordered the curtain to be drawn aside.
A subtle, elusive fragrance wafted through the air. Beside the emperor stood a stunningly beautiful woman. In an instant, the hall’s golden light seemed to dim in comparison.
Her nose was elegantly straight, her skin snow-white, her lips naturally red. The hairpin in her jet-black hair trembled lightly, reflecting a gentle, beautiful gaze like spring water.
She was an exceptional beauty.
The officials were stunned, murmuring inwardly: Who is this? A new favorite concubine of the emperor? No, they seemed to have just heard an "Imperial Father."
When did the emperor have such a stunning princess?
What age is the princess? She looks so young yet wears her hair in a married woman’s style. Her aura is not that of a young girl but bears the refinement of years, a mature charm. Every movement was full of grace.
Yan Xuerui had lived in seclusion all year round. Few ladies had seen her true appearance, let alone these officials. Just as they were marveling at such beauty in the world, a cold voice came from behind them.
Gu Yan smiled without warmth, gritting his teeth. "For reasons unknown, why is my wife serving beside His Majesty?"
He slightly raised his chin, his heavy gaze fixed on Yan Xuerui. "Come here!"
The treasure he’d kept hidden for so many years was now exposed to everyone’s gaze. He wanted to dig out all their eyeballs and have them with wine.
Even on such a perilous day, everything had gone as he predicted, smoothly. From now on, the emperor wouldn’t dare act against him, the Crown Prince would rely on him, and he would become a truly powerful minister, holding sway over the court.
This sudden turn of events made him feel that all the glory he had pursued meant nothing—absolute rubbish!
Gu Yan greedily stared at her face. She had lost weight. Indeed, he had deliberately left no instructions. The Marquis’s household was full of women and children; she must have struggled these days.
This had been his plan all along. She resisted him so much; he wanted her to see what kind of life she would have without him. She could not leave him.
In the future, she ought to learn obedience and properly please her husband.
As soon as Gu Yan spoke, he successfully drew the officials’ attention from the beauty to himself. Everyone felt a twinge of envy. So this was Marquis Gu’s delicate wife.
No wonder Marquis Gu had refused to take concubines all these years. They had thought he was noble and devoted all his energy to court affairs, indifferent to women. Heavens above, he had been hiding such a peerless beauty at home!
Look at Marquis Gu, Senior Tutor Gu—strikingly dignified, thirty-five years old, in his prime; head of his household, wielding immense power in the court, with such a beauty by his side. To wield authority awake, and recline in a beauty’s lap drunk—who in this world could compare to Gu Yan?
For a moment, envious, jealous, and admiring gazes shot toward Gu Yan, but he seemed unaware, staring intently at Yan Xuerui.
By her count, Yan Xuerui had not seen Gu Yan for ten days. Gazing at him across the crowd, she seemed stung by his look. She slightly lowered her head, her alabaster jaw outlining a graceful curve.
The emperor held Yan Xuerui’s hand, his cloudy eyes scanning the room. "Madam Yan is my long-lost daughter, Princess Changle."
"Effective immediately, you shall respect her with the rites due a princess. She is granted a princess residence, registered in the Imperial Jade Records, and all provisions shall follow imperial regulations."
Yan Xuerui gracefully knelt first, saying softly, "Thank you, Imperial Father. May the emperor live ten thousand years!"
The stunned officials, as if waking from a dream, quickly knelt and followed with shouts of "May the Emperor live ten thousand years!" and "May the Princess live a thousand years!" Their looks toward Gu Yan grew even more venomous.
Not only did he marry a peerless beauty, but she was also a princess of the blood, acknowledged by the emperor’s own words. Regardless of any past complications, it could not be false.
Now that is how a true man should live.
The envied and admired Gu Yan himself slightly frowned. In his view, the princess title came with complications. He only wanted her as his wife, without such complications.
He quickly pondered where things had gone wrong. The emperor patted Yan Xuerui’s hand and said, "Your Book of Investiture and golden seal, We will have them delivered to you tomorrow. As for the investiture ceremony…"
He sighed softly. "Your Virtuous Prince brother’s body is not yet cold. Wait a while. In a few days, we will choose an auspicious date for your investiture."
Yan Xuerui said in a delicate voice, "Everything is as Imperial Father decides."
Having lost a son today but regained a daughter, the emperor found some slight relief from the pain of losing his son in her obedience and understanding.
He said, "There may be times when I cannot attend to you. If there is anything else you want, order the Ministry of Revenue to handle it. My daughter, even if you want the moon from the sky, it shall be yours. Do not stand on ceremony with them."
Yan Xuerui lowered her eyelashes, her dark lashes layered like a butterfly with folded wings, trembling slightly.
She subtly shifted behind the emperor, not daring to look up at Gu Yan.
"This daughter… this daughter does not want the moon from the sky."
Suppressing the tremors in her heart, her voice soft yet clear, it spread throughout the hall.
"I want a divorce."
In that instant, the civil and military officials, already exhausted from a full day of the Virtuous Prince’s palace rebellion and execution, Gu Yan’s debate with the court, and the emperor acknowledging his daughter, widened their eyes in shock.
And Senior Tutor Gu, who had been strategizing all along, had veins bulging at his wrists, his knuckles turning white from clenching, his face as dark as the king of hell.